benevolent

/bəˈnevələnt/ (bre, ipa) · /bəˈnevələnt/ (ame, ipa) · /bə-ˈne-və-lənt -ˈnev-/ (ame, mw)

benevolent — adjective

  • benevolentpositive
  • more benevolentcomparative
  • most benevolentsuperlative

1. showing a warm desire to do good things for other people and acting in a genuine

1.形容詞C1
釋義

showing a warm desire to do good things for other people and acting in a genuinely caring way toward them

例句

Mandla is known for his benevolent attitude toward every person he meets at the clinic.

benevolent attitude toward

The old baker gave a benevolent smile to the children waiting outside his shop.

同義詞
  • kind

    more common, less formal, and can describe a single action or a character trait

  • compassionate

    emphasises empathy for someone else's suffering or困难

  • generous

    focuses on freely giving time, money, or help without expecting anything back

  • warm-hearted

    more informal; suggests an emotional warmth that makes people feel comfortable

反義詞
  • cruel

    opposite in both action and intention — deliberately causing pain or suffering

  • unkind

    covers smaller daily acts of meanness rather than deep malice

文法句型

benevolent + noun (smile, nature, attitude)

verb + benevolent

用法筆記

Describes a person's stable character trait rather than a single action — more enduring and formal than 'kind'.

常見錯誤

❌My teacher was very benevolent to explain the grammar again.
✅My teacher was kind enough to explain the grammar again.
💡'Benevolent' describes a lasting character quality, not a one-time helpful action.

2. regularly donating money or providing practical support to people, communities,

2.形容詞C1
釋義

regularly donating money or providing practical support to people, communities, or causes in difficulty

例句

Ricardo made a benevolent donation to the local library's children reading program.

benevolent donation to

Sakura works for a benevolent organization that builds schools in rural villages.

benevolent organization — aid or charity group

同義詞
  • charitable

    the most direct synonym; slightly less formal, very common in everyday descriptions of giving

  • philanthropic

    more formal, often describes large-scale giving by wealthy individuals or foundations

  • altruistic

    focuses on selfless concern for others' welfare rather than on the money itself

反義詞
  • selfish

    caring only about one's own benefit rather than others' needs

  • stingy

    unwilling to share or spend money even when able to help

文法句型

benevolent + noun (fund, organization, foundation)

用法筆記

Commonly appears as part of a formal organisation name (e.g. 'Benevolent Fund', 'Benevolent Society'). Unlike 'charitable', 'benevolent' in a name often implies an endowment that exists to give help rather than to raise funds actively.

常見錯誤

❌After winning the lottery, she felt very benevolent.
✅She made a benevolent donation to the children's hospital after winning the lottery.
💡'Benevolent' describes the giving, not the feeling of having money.
❌The store has a benevolent return policy.
✅The store has a generous / flexible return policy.
💡'Benevolent' is not used for business policies; it belongs to personal character or charitable giving.